Wagner's TechTalk

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Latest Updates 2024

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This is where you’ll find the latest information about what is coming to the channel. There are hints on upcoming videos, guides, status updates or important milestones. SocialBlade stats can be found here.

This website and YouTube channel is a hobby, I try to deliver deliver new content each week. However, this may not always happen and I appreciate your support and patience. As you may do as well, I work a full-time job and YouTube is a hobby and life/work schedules do impact when new content is released. Thank you for your support and checking out the latest updates!

–Jon

blogs from previous years [ 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019]

April

  • 2024-04-22 – I’m very impressed with the Berzerk X Replicade 1:6th scale arcade cabinet from New Wave Toys! They have managed to incorporate a working coin door (using mini tokens), simulated Berzerk Main Board, replica CRT (using an LCD panel) and much more. Check it out here!
  • 2024-04-16 – Going through some personal things as of yesterday. Both the good/bad news is, I may have a bit more time to create new content.
  • 2024-04-14 – Coleco has released 3 new table top arcades as part of the revival series. We’ll check out Berzerk, Frenzy and Top Racer as well as replace the board in Berzerk and Frenzy to correct a display issue.
  • 2024-04-09 – The400 Mini is a modern recreation of the classic 8-bit home computer from ATARI. It has 25 licensed built-in games, a new Joystick design called THECXSTICK, ability to add your own games and more. Check it out here.
  • 2024-04-08 – The next video is completed and will be released tomorrow. It will be a review of the new ATARI 400 Mini and some may find it very interesting. No spoilers, but if you want to check it out before it’s released, see the side-bar at the right 😉
  • 2024-04-05 – The next video is off to a good start. I’m about 5 min. into the video editing at this point and do need to record a few more segments. I encountered a few issues during game testing of this new console and verified the issue isn’t in my mind. Hoping to complete it this weekend, but lots of personal stuff to work on (new sink installations, family coming over, etc.) so not sure exactly when it will be done. But, it’s in the oven.

    A brief update on the General Loader guide, it’s coming along well and there are a few updates to be made there of some things I needed to explain a bit better. Hoping to complete that within the next two weeks or so along with a companion video. Multitasking isn’t my thing, so I’ve slowed on the PinUP project but hope to pick back up on that very soon. It’s something I personally want to see happen this month, if at all possible.
  • 2024-04-01 – I’m now a proud owner of a physical pinball machine! I’ve finally caved, check it out here!

March

  • 2024-03-31 – I have two guides that I’m working on and hope to release in April, these are:
    • General Loader Guide – This guide will demonstrate how to create applications (games, utilities, etc.) and compile/deploy them on the Legends Pinball 4KP. This guide is nearly complete and is undergoing refinements.
    • PinUP Popper Baller Installer (VPX) – Setup on the Legends Pinball 4KP over OTG. This guide was just recently started and will continue to improve on it until it is ready. I was awaiting the firmware update for the 4KP to support the Arcade Control Panel. Now that it’s available, we can proceed with this highly anticipated guide.
  • 2024-03-25 – A lot of exciting things happened over the weekend. Here’s a quick summary:
    • Techmoan Mentioned WTT – Techmoan, a famous content creator located in the UK, mentioned this channel in his recent video on the AtGames Legends Pinball 4KP. He’s an awesome content creator and his review is spot-on. I recommend subscribing and checking out his video! As a result of that mention, many new viewers are finding this channel. I appreciate Techmoan and the new viewers/subscribers! I hope they find a lot of useful information on the Legends Pinball 4KP guide.
    • Gottlieb Short Gameplay Videos – 22 short videos for the new Gottlieb tables on the AtGames Legends Pinball 4KP were created and will be available to view on 3/26 here (official release date). I’ll only release one or two of them on 3/26, the last time I released a bunch of shorts at one time it wasn’t well-received. However, even if they aren’t released publicly, you’ll still be able to watch all of them using the links from that page. All were recorded in 4K@60fps.
    • Surprise video – A surprise video was completed and will be released next week.
    • General Loader Progress – Many aren’t going to be familiar with this yet, but will hear more about it soon. The Legends platform has had a feature for quite sometime to support creating and launching custom applications. These applications can be new community-developed games, applications, etc., copied to a USB stick and run directly on the 4KP. 5 days ago, I released the Virtual Machine Guide as a first step. One of the main reasons for that guide is that in order to create/compile applications that run on the 4KP, you’ll need Ubuntu (Linux). Using Virtual Box (free) + Ubuntu with that guide, you’ll have the main stuff you’ll need to get started. The second part of this project is to show how the code can be generated and build the application in Linux and deploy it to a USB stick. After prepared properly, you can then launch your application on the 4KP! This weekend, I was able to successfully create and deploy my first sample application and run it directly on the 4KP. I’ve started a new guide to walk anyone through doing just that. This guide will take some time, but I think it will be very helpful to the community. Endless possibilities.
  • 2024-03-20 – In the Virtual Machine Guide guide, we’ll discuss how to utilize VirtualBox to run Ubuntu directly in Windows 11. VirtualBox is free to download/use and provides many advanced features that make it easy to run many different operating systems on modern hardware.
  • 2024-03-19 – The next guide and companion video is coming along well and may be released Thursday or Friday. The topic will be a bit different from most content on the channel, but it’s one that we’ll need covered for an upcoming project. Stay tuned for more.
  • 2024-03-16 – I’ve been working on three upcoming guides that I think you’ll find helpful and enjoy. I should have a more substantial update for you in a few days. The guide I’m focusing on now will become the foundation for another project that will soon follow, once I get the other half all figured out. Yet what will be delivered first can stand entirely on its own and opens up a larger world of possibilities. I know it sounds like pie-in-the-sky stuff at this point, but it will all make sense when we talk about it. It might be the kind of thing that makes you go hmmmmmm.
  • 2024-03-14 – Added a new section for setting up Recalbox on the AtGames Legends Ultimate Arcade with a Raspberry Pi 5.
  • 2024-03-09 – This guide will step you through the installation and setup of Recalbox on your Raspberry Pi 5. Allowing you to enjoy the classic arcade and console games you grew up with.
  • 2024-03-07 – In the next video, we’ll return to emulation but this time, on the Raspberry Pi 5. While Pi 5 emulation is still very early in its evolution, there is one option which is reasonably polished. Production has begun on this new video, hoping to have it completed this week. Does this image bring back memories? What’s in this image will be followed-up in a future video, there is indeed more to it than meets the eye.
I recall this experience from the 80s & 90s
– how about you?
  • 2024-03-01 – Connecting a PC to the AtGames Legends Pinball 4K over OTG (on-the-go) allows you to play hundreds or even thousands of additional pinball tables! In this video, we’ll discuss the PC, what cables are needed, the software configuration, Pinball M/FX installation and much more!

February

  • 2024-02-23 – I recently picked up the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC for use over OTG (on-the-go) with the Legends Pinball 4K virtual pinball machine. In this video, we’ll quickly unbox it, take a look at the machine, run some benchmarks, set up the displays and play some Zen Studios Pinball FX and Pinball M.
  • 2024-02-22 – It’s been a lot of work getting here, but I’d like to share the first version of the Legends Pinball 4K OTG PC Setup Guide. It will be continuously updated/refined and I appreciate corrections/feedback. There will be videos to follow, as they are completed. There is a lot of content on the page and a quick-start section to make it easier to skip over what you already know. Companion videos will be forthcoming, starting with the PC I chose for OTG on the Legends Pinball 4K. Then, PC Setup, Pinball FX/M Setup and on to VPX/Future Pinball. I also want to thank many of you who sent in your PC configuration to help others. I’m hopeful this will become a useful resource going forward.
  • 2024-02-14 – I’ve started the initial PC Setup Guide for OTG on the Legends Pinball 4K machines. It’s a bit rough around the edges, needs much more details added, performance benchmark results, etc. but overall it’s coming along well. I will be asking assistance from the community very soon to help fill in some gaps, likely in a few days once I have something worth sharing. I greatly appreciate any input you can provide to help make this guide the best it can be.
  • 2024-02-13 – Desktop PC for creation of Legends Pinball 4KP 4K OTG content has arrived. More details about the machine will be forthcoming, after running several benchmark tests and verifying it performs well. As progress is being made on this project, I will update with new information.
Desktop PC for 4K OTG
  • 2024-02-11 – The Divoom Times Gate is an interesting clock and information gadget with 5 independent 128x128p color IPS displays. It can be used to display pixel art, animations, data visualization, social media statistics and much more.
  • 2024-02-09 – Revised the SSF Kit installation video, due to a few things: In the original video, step #7 showed the cable installed backwards. It’s not an issue electrically, just the color of the wires. Also, adjusted the step #’s to match the latest install PDF. It’s all minor stuff, but want to make sure this video is 100% accurate.
  • 2024-02-01 – The AtGames Legends Pinball SSF Kits will be arriving soon and many are going to be looking for help to get it installed. Help has arrived, you can find all the details in this video: SSF Kit Install for the AtGames Legends 4K or FX Legends Pinball

January

  • 2024-01-28 – Multiple updates have been made recently. An Initial Setup video was recently posted here for Legends Pinball 4K series. There have been questions regarding the Legends Pinball 4KP latency (The Addams Family cabinet) and were addressed here. Additionally, the Peanuts’ Snoopy Pinball table (short) video was added here.
  • 2024-01-22 – Production of the next video, AtGames Legends Pinball 4K: CE-4K Getting Started Tutorial (Part 2), has started. This next video will focus on your initial setup experience post-assembly of the Legends Pinball 4KP. That is, Navigation, a walk-through of the setup wizard (Network setup, Legends ID creation, etc.), performing the Day-1 update, customizing your machine, etc. and perhaps more. Planning to complete it later this week.
  • 2024-01-18 – The AtGames Legends 4KP will be hitting homes very soon. In preparation for this exciting event, a new video has been developed to show you how to assemble your machine. Part 1 will cover the Unboxing and Assembly of the machine and may be found here. Part 2 will cover the Day-1 update, navigation and much more, stay tuned!
  • 2024-01-13 – The new AtGames Legends 4KP is preparing for shipment, what’s the question that is on everyone’s mind? Yep, how is the Game Play of the Zen Studios The Addams Family? That question and more answered here.
  • 2024-01-07 – The CrowVision (by Elecrow) is an 11.6″ Touch Display panel that can be used with most any single-board computer, such as various Raspberry Pi models, LattePanda, Beaglebone, Jetson Nano and more! This kit is great for use in your own custom projects. Check it out!
  • 2024-01-05 – It’s been a few days since my first post of the year, just wanted to update you on a few things. My wife had surgery a few days ago and is recovering well, but once she gets home, she’s my priority. Some of the stuff mentioned here may not see as much attention for the next week until she recovers, we’ll see how things play out. I have two videos currently in-process, one is somewhat Pi5-related and another 4KP related. The Pi5 video is most likely to be next, followed by several 4KP videos and a robotics video. Yes, lots of progress is being made on the 4KP side of things but can’t say much at this point. I won’t be answering questions on exactly what that is, until the video drops, I’ll assist with questions at that point. Stay tuned!
  • 2024-01-01 – Yay, 2024 is here and Happy New Year to you and yours! 2023 was a great year of growth for the Wagner’s TechTalk YouTube channel. I’m hopeful that 2024 will be off to a great start as there are a lot of new and exciting things coming this year. My personal goal for 2024 is to reach more viewers, create better content that you want to see and develop new guides that make things easier.

    However, let’s first reflect on how things went in 2023 vs. 2022. It’s always a good idea to see what kind of improvements were made based on the prior year. With that, here are a few metrics that you may find interesting:
    • Video Views were up 28% in 2023 vs 2022 – 1.6M views (2024 goal is 2.2M views)
    • Watch Time was up 13% in 2023 vs 2022 – 99k watch hours (2024 goal is 110k watch hours)
    • Subscribers increased 5% in 2023 vs 2022 – 8.7k new subscribers (2024 goal is 10k new subscribers)

      Yes, I’m making up these goals as I go along. But, let’s check back next year and see if these guesstimates were anywhere close to accurate. You can help make this happen by liking, sharing and subscribing to the channel. But, only do so if I helped you in some small way.

      In 2022, subscribers increased by 8.2k, there were over 1.2 million views and 87.2 thousand watch hours. In terms of channel growth, it was over a 30% increase from 2021. Again, thank you and looking forward to what 2024 has in store!